Sven Smit

Sven is a senior partner at McKinsey&Company and works with leading companies to develop strategies for growth, serving all industries. He analyses the success factors required for business growth, examining the way megatrends influence it, and defining the lessons of diversified growth. Relevant experience: Sven builds on the ideas in Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick (2018), The Granularity of Growth (2008) and A Century Of Plenty (2025), three books he co-authored. 

Within the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), Sven has led research and authored MGI reports on global economic trends and topics such as productivity and growth, urbanization, innovation and technology, labor markets and the future of work, emerging markets, and Europe's economic outlook.  He helps McKinsey to develop the firm’s point of view on core issues such as economic volatility, inflation, and uncertainty, and defines ways to help clients navigate the problems. Previous roles Sven has held within McKinsey include leading the Firm’s Western Europe region and the global Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice, as well as being a member of Firm’s executive committee and its Shareholder’s Council. He was also Chair of  the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey's business and economics research arm.

Background: Sven holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University of Technology & an MBA from INSEAD. Prior to joining McKinsey in 1992, Sven worked at Philips Research Laboratories (Measurement and Control) as an engineer/researcher. He contributes to society through NL2025, an initiative committed to a better future for the Netherlands.